


Manners

by mieraspeller



Series: Dragonrider Girl [4]
Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Dragons, Family Feels, Gen, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-05 18:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11019024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mieraspeller/pseuds/mieraspeller
Summary: A bit of Bri's POV post Impression re: raising a dragon





	Manners

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after chapter three of Impression.

Urgent hunger pangs roused Brielle from her sound sleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily, before remembering - _feeling_ \- Carith sprawled half over her and grinning widely. A line of men and women carrying large bowls of meat for the dragons were already up and making their way down the rows. 

_Meat?_ Carith asked, head coming up eagerly. 

“Breakfast,” Brielle confirmed, bouncing against her bedroll as Carith rolled clumsily up onto her haunches. “Thank you!” she remembered to say as a bowl was thrust into her arms. 

_Thank you?_ Carith echoed, and the man started, giving the pair a wide eyed look before hurrying on. 

“My sister says manners are very important,” Brielle said approvingly as she held out the bowl for Carith to dig in. “Last night you were very hungry and didn’t know better, but you should always say please and thank you,” she nodded firmly. 

_What is please?_

“Please is what you say when you want something. Like, can I have some breakfast, please?”

_And thank you is after you get something?_

“Exactly!” Brielle beamed at her smart dragon. Then she frowned. “But my uncle says that the holds won’t give food to the weyrs anymore, now that the Thread is gone forever.” 

The boy next to her snorted. “Holders are dead scared of dragons. If they don’t give us food, we can just take it!” 

Brielle stared at the boy, eyes narrowing. “My family are holders! And you can’t just take things, that’s stealing.”

“G’tin’s craft bred, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” The green rider girl who’d spoken had everyone’s attention now. “Before Weyrwoman Lessa and Weyrleader F’lar stepped down, they decided that dragonriders would make their own livings after Thread. My foster brother, Blue Rider L’ren is training at the StarCraft Hall.” She nodded and turned back to her dragon decisively. Brielle thought she seemed to know what she was talking about - she looked older than Cam, and she knew other dragonriders. 

And thinking of Cam: Brielle looked around, hoping for a glimpse of her sister. If the other girl was right, then Cam could still train as a harper, like she had always wanted!

“Pay attention, girl, your dragon’s going to burst if she eats anymore!” 

Brielle startled to attention, before pulling the bowl of meat back from a complaining Carith. 

“Make sure you oil her well,” the woman admonished, then turned on her heel and strode to the doorway, standing tall to address the weyrlings.

“If you need more oil, there are jars in this cupboard. I am Herin, the Weyrlingmaster. You may remember me from last night, though I know first Impressions can be overwhelming. Make sure your dragons don’t overeat, and then oil them. After, follow Rana, here, into the dining hall.” She clapped a short, dark haired girl on the shoulder and swept out.

 _She likes to make an exit, huh,_ Brielle thought to herself, before shrugging and going back to oiling her food-stupored dragon. Carith fell back into a light doze by the time Brielle went over her forelegs. 

“Bri,” a familiar voice said, and Brielle looked up with a grin as her sister said down next to her, awkwardly cradling her queen dragonet. 

“I can’t believe we both get to be dragonriders!” Brielle said reaching over to clasp her sister. Cam dodged, and Bri frowned before remembering her hands were still covered in dragon oil. She hastily went back to oiling Carith, not wanting to face Herin’s displeasure. “I didn’t get to hear your dragon’s name before I left last night,” she added. 

“Menoth,” Cam said, smiling faintly. She curled her legs under her, then opened her own jar of oil and began smoothing it over Menoth’s golden hide. 

“This is Carith,” Brielle said, rubbing her dragon’s jaw and wriggling with happiness when she preened, pushing into the caress. “And, Cam, I found out the best thing from - oh! I’m sorry, I never got your name,” she exclaimed, turning to the green rider girl with the helpful information. 

“I’m Marva, and my dragon is Kalanth,” the older girl said with a barely there quirk of a smile. “And you are Brielle, and you are Camilla.” 

“Yes!” Brielle grinned at her. 

“Cam, please,” Cam put in hastily. “Nice to meet you.” 

Marva nodded amiably, then smirked. “My brother told me about you, actually.”

“Your brother the blue rider? Is he the one who brought us to the Hatching?” Brielle beamed when Marva nodded. “Tell him thank you from us, please!” She rubbed at a patch Carith claimed was itchy behind her jaw, then bounced slightly. “Marva says that dragonriders can do whatever they want! You can be a harper like you wanted, Cam.” She grinned widely at her sister, who merely blinked. 

“I’m hoping the Smithcrafthall will take me on,” Marva said, ducking her head. “Ma says I have a dab hand with beading, and I want to try my hand at fine metal work - jewelry.” 

“That sounds lovely,” Cam said in her polite voice. Bri frowned at her. “Any decisions will have to wait until after we speak with Grandmother.”

“Then you’ll be stuck keeping the Hold until you’re gray. Think Menoth’d be happy watching over herdbeasts?” Bri demanded. 

“Besides, the queen dragons keep the other dragons in line. You’ll be a junior weyrwoman atop your other duties. No time to keep track of a lot of dumb animals,” Marva put in. “They have loads of work just keeping the dragonriders and holdfolk from fighting.” 

Cam’s face grew more drawn as Marva spoke and Bri swallowed. She had thought becoming a dragonrider would take her sister from all the responsibilities she hated. Was she just going to have more piled on? She felt a stirring of guilt for dragging her sister to the Hatching. Not for herself! She wouldn’t give up Carith for anything. 

“Cam-” 

_Mmm, herdbeast. Juicy and fat,_ Menoth broke in, broadcasting her dreamy musings loud and clear. _Could I have just a bit more meat?_

Carith opened one eye balefully. _Say please!_


End file.
